Buggy-top support.



PATENTED MAY 29, 1906 W. N. STROUD.

BUGGY TOP SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. 1905.

Rttomegs.

Witnesss: -15? WILEY NICHOLAS STROUD, OF SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA.

BUGGY-TOP SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented May 29, 1906.

Application filed July 26, 1905. $eria1No. 271,319.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILEY N IOHOLAS STROUD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shreveport, in the parish of Caddo and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Buggy-Top Support, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to buggy-top supports.

The object of .the invention is in a ready, simple, thoroughly feasible, and practical manner and without necessitating any change in the structural arrangement of the bows or other parts of the buggy-top to prevent bending of the rear bows due to contact with the prop-bolts when the top is allowed to drop and from vibrations imparted to the top when dropped and when the buggy is passing over rough and uneven roads; furthermore, to transmit the strain and leverage from the rear bows to the pivot-bolts, thereby further lessening danger of bending or fleXure of the bows.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the sameconsists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a buggy-top support, as-will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a view in elevation eX- hibiting a portion of a buggy and its top, the dropped or folded position of the top being exhibited in full lines and its raised position in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a perspective detail view of one of the buggy-top supports. Fig: 3 is a perspective detail view of one of the clips by which the supports are combined with the rear bows.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the seat portion of a buggy, carriage, or the like;

2, the seatrail; 3, generally the bows, and 4 the top. These parts may be of the usual or any preferred construction, and therefore need no detailed description.

It may be stated at this point that the improvements of the present invention are adapted to any form of vehicle-top where it is desired to fold or drop the same, and in this instance they are shown only as combined with a buggy.

The present improvements consist in a novel form of buggy-top support and means whereby the same is operatively combined with the rear bows thereof. Of course, as

will be apparent, it is essential in devices of this character that they shall be simple in construction, and so disposed relatively to the bows as to avoid the presentation of obstructions which would interfere with the proper raising and lowering of the top, and, further, to'detract as little as possible from the ornamental appearance of the buggy-top. It is further essential that devices of this character should possess both resiliency and rigidity, the first to effect cushioning of the top to allow it to yield to vibrations of the vehicle and the second to hold the bows against undue yielding, whichwould result in permitting them to engage with the supporting devices, and thus result in marring.

The above features are secured in the present invention in a ready and practical man ner, as will hereinafter appear.

As the support and its means of attachment with the rear bow of the buggy-top is the same on .both sides of the buggy, a description of but one of each of the parts is all that is necessary.

The support embodies a bar of resilient metal of any desired width and thickness having its front portion 5 straight and terminating in an upturned toe or extension 6, provided with an orifice 7, and its rear portion 8 disposed on substantially the lines of a compound curve with the bow downward. This bar at a point intermediate of its length is twisted on a quarter-turn, as shown at 9, thereby to cause the forward section 5 to have its widest or flat side disposed in ,a vertical plane when the support is in position and the rear section 8 to have its widest or flat side disposed in a horizontal plane, the latter section being that which yields, as will be apparent. By having the flat side of the forward section disposed as described there will be no obstacle presented between the rear bow and.

the rail which would be objectionable in raisa ing and lowering the top, and, further, this portion will be rigid and non-yielding in a vertical plane.

The rear section 8 is held combined with the'rear bow by a' clip, having a clamping portion 10 of a configuration to embrace a bow and a guide portion 11, through which the section 8 of the support projects, the portions of the attachin device between the clip 10 and guide 11 being bent to form a neck 12, the two members of which are perforated to receive a bolt 13, that carries a nut 14, by which the clip is clamped around the bow. As herein shown, the opening through the guide to receive the support is approximately rectangular, this being the shape of the support in cross-section; but it will be understood. that if the contour of the support be varied the guide opening will be constructed to conform therewith. The guide is of greater vertical and transverse eX- tent than the support in order to permit the latter freely'to move therein under the vibrations of the top. In assembling the supports with the buggy-top the pivot-bolts 15, that hold the bows, combined with the rail, are removed, and the supports are positioned against the bows, after which the'bolts are inserted through the orifices 7, thus securing thesupports in position. The clips are then placed upon the rear bows, and when properly adjusted relatively to the supports the nuts 14 are tightened, thus securely positioning the parts upon the buggy-top;

When the top is down, the intermediate or downward bow portion of the'supports will bear upon the prop-bolts 16, (one only being shown) and upon pressure being exerted upon the rear bows, as from the vibratory motion of the top, this strain is transmitted from the clips to the pivot-bolts 15, which, as will be apparent, being farthest removed from the fulcrums formed by the prop-bolts, will absorb and thus relieve the rear bows from strain.

As will be seen from the foregoing description, the buggy-top supporter of this invention is exceedingly simple in construction and may be readily applied to the bows of a buggy top in use without requiring any change in their structural arrangement and being cheaply and easily manufactured in case of damage to one or both repairs may be quickly and cheaply effected.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. The combination with the rear bow of a buggy-top, of a support comprising bars of metal twisted on a quarter-turn to present forward rigid portions and rear flexible portions, the forward portions of the support be ing held combined with the bows by the pivotbolts, and clips adjustably mounted upon the rear bows and throughwhi'ch the free ends of the supports project.

2. The combination with the seat-rail and bows of a buggy-top, of a support twisted intermediate of its length upon a quarter-turn to present a forward non-yielding portion secured to the seat-rail by the pivot-bolt, and a rear-flexible portion projecting outward beyond the rear portion of the buggy-seat thus to contact with the prop-bolt when the top is lowered and a clip secured to the rear bow and having a guide through which the free end of thesupport projects. I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my. signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILEY NICHOLAS STROUD.

Witnesses:

C. A. THoRNHrLL, F. W. SMITH. 

